Four Roads
by AmourshippingCanon
Summary: As Ash, Dawn and Brock are delayed on their journey to Lily of the Valley Island, they encounter some old friends, each setting out on their own adventures to learn more in the world of Pokemon. However, Dawn's childhood friend Kenny, has a specific goal in mind, deciding a battle with Ash is the best way to achieve it. Who will emerge victorious, and what will victory achieve?


**Author's Note:**

Here we are with another oneshot from a bet. Another pearlshipping one, once again for Jagulov (or on FanFiction – DownAnder). This one is set during the episode "Four Roads Diverged in a Pokemon Port" but it's a little bit different...I suppose you'll see why. So with that, let's get to it.

 **Four Roads:**

It was a sight he would never get used to. For Ash Ketchum, the aspiring Pokemon Master from Pallet Town, it was one of the most beautiful things he could ever look upon. So much went into earning the right to see it, and so much more would come after. A long journey, travelling with some of his best friends in the entire world, and here he was, the owner of eight beautiful gym badges.

"Wow...finally got 'em all," he breathed out, holding open his badge case as the automated pathway carried him and his friends, Dawn and Brock, on their way to the port, where they would be boarding the ferry to Lily of the Valley Island. He couldn't wait, knowing that when he got there, he would finally be able to compete in the Sinnoh League!

He looked back at his friends, noticing them smiling back as they too looked at his badges, each of them looking almost as excited as him about what lay ahead. Ash smiled back, knowing he never could have come this far without them. The older, dark-skinned man was Brock, his oldest friend and a companion since early on in his career as a Pokemon Trainer. He had always helped Ash, never letting the energetic boy get too high or too low. The former Pewter City Gym Leader knew almost everything there was to know about Pokemon breeding, and Ash was sure he would've been lost without the man.

And then there was Dawn, a blue-haired girl in a white beanie, black tank top, pink skirt and pink boots. She'd helped Ash out right away when he'd arrived in Sinnoh, saving his partner, Pikachu, from Team Rocket, and helping the electric mouse get back to him. She had only just been starting out as a trainer back then, but now, she was one of the best Pokemon coordinators in the entire Sinnoh region, and had been one of Ash's most supportive friends he'd ever had. Her Piplup, sitting comfortably in her arms, had been quite supportive as well, and had been a great friend to Pikachu.

Having the two of them by his side, along with Pikachu and all of Ash's other Pokemon, he was sure he would win the Sinnoh League. He would beat Conway, Nando, Barry, Paul and anyone else he went up against. He couldn't lose when he had that kind of support.

He turned back, pocketing his badge case as he looked ahead, silently willing the automated pathway to move faster. He couldn't wait to get there and get on that ferry. Once he finally reached Lily of the Valley Island, he would be one step closer to achieving his dream. Nothing would stand in his way, and his friends were always there behind him.

The only thing that could get in his way, would be time.

When they finally reached the port, the trio headed inside, Ash leading the way as they stepped up to the counter to get their tickets, looking up at the screen to see the departure time. Unfortunately, what he saw didn't make him very happy, he and Pikachu jumping back as they noticed. "Ah! Man, we just missed the ferry!"

"Piiikaaa!" Pikachu whined out from his shoulder, just as disappointed.

"Heyyy, I think maybe that's it out there," Dawn's voice broke in, getting Ash's attention as he followed her gaze, spotting a boat drifting away from the dock.

"Hmm, the next one's tomorrow morning, I'm afraid," Brock added, dampening Ash's spirits that much more.

"I guess we'll have to hang here," he said sadly, feeling a pit in his stomach as he watched the ferry getting smaller and smaller as it drifted further away.

"Relax, no need to worry!" Dawn told him, smiling in his direction, clearly trying to be positive for his sake. "There's lots of time," she pointed out.

Ash was about to answer, realizing she had a point, despite his urge to arrive as soon as possible for the league, however, in that moment, a familiar voice grabbed their attention. "Floatzel, let's go!"

The trio quickly rushed towards the doors, heading outside to the docks, immediately spotting a familiar face. In Ash's case, it was actually _two_ familiar faces, one being that of Kenny, a boy with reddish brown hair and a green shirt, and the other being quite the surprise in Jasmine, a Gym Leader from Johto, with long brown hair and a sleeveless teal sundress. As Ash and his friends emerged from the terminal, he saw Kenny's Floatzel emerging next to the two trainers.

"Kenny!" Dawn shouted happily, although Kenny didn't seem to hear, apparently doing some kind of demonstration or training.

"Floatzel! Whirlpool!" he yelled, his Floatzel jumping out in front of him as it threw its arms up into the air, water beginning to swirl around them in a vortex, expanding more and more each second. "Now aim at the Whirlpool and use Aqua Jet!"Ash had to admit that it was impressive, watching as Floatzel shot up, its body enveloped by water as it entered the centre of the vortex of water, shooting up and emerging from the other side, water spinning around it a moment before it spread its arms and landed. "What do you think?" Kenny asked, turning to Jasmine, a proud look on his face.

"A Whirlpool and Aqua Jet combination! Now that's pretty good!" she said, smiling as she looked towards Kenny, after observing Floatzel another moment. "That would multiply their strength even in a normal battle."

Ash smiled, deciding now was a good opportunity for he and his friends to approach. "Hey look," he started to say, wondering if Brock had noticed Jasmine was there. Of course...he had.

"Jasmine!" the man yelled, running forward, leaving Ash and Dawn stunned for a moment.

"Jasmine?" Dawn finally asked, looking curiously at Ash.

"Yeah, Jasmine's the leader over at the Olivine Gym," he explained to her. "Her partner, Steelix, is awesomely strong," he remembered, thinking of the battle he'd had with her so long ago when he was in Johto.

"It's been too long, Jasmine!" Ash and Dawn quickly looked up at that, realizing Brock had reached his target, looking as crazed as he usually did around girls, grabbing her hands, while she looked back, stunned.

"Hold on, your name's Brock, isn't it?" she asked, looking confused.

"Right!" Brock shouted, sounding ecstatic that she remembered him. "And meeting you again like this can only mean that fate has bound us together and frozen us as one in time and space foreverrr!"

"Croagunk!"

Ash winced as he saw the familiar Poison Jab go into Brock's back, his friend's Croagunk deciding Brock had said enough to Jasmine as it carried the man off, chuckling to itself as the sacs on its cheeks expanded. Ash had to wonder how many of those Brock could take, but by the looks of it, he was already recovering, so he amd Dawn decided to head over to where Jasmine and Kenny were standing.

"Hi Kenny!" Dawn greeted, as Kenny greeted her back and Ash did the same with Jasmine.

"Wow, Ash! How are you doing?" the Olivine Gym Leader asked, looking surprised to see him there as well.

"Great!" Ash answered, while Pikachu greeted her as well.

"I'm Dawn, nice to meet you!" the Coordinator introduced herself, stepping forward as Jasmine looked at her.

"Hello, I'm Jasmine!"

Once the introductions were finished, Kenny turned to Dawn, a sympathetic look on his face as he spoke. "Hey, it's really too bad about the Grand Festival," he said, Dawn looking surprised at his words, having thought that Kenny might not have seen. They talked about the final match for a couple of minutes, Ash remembering how close it had been as Dawn talked about the final stages of her battle with Zoey. It really had been disappointing, and Ash wished he could've somehow done something to give Dawn the win.

Finally, Dawn looked over at Kenny's Floatzel, smiling with shining eyes. "Wow, your Floatzel looks just great!" she pointed out, as Brock finally emerged behind them.

"Thanks! Yeah, I was just having Jasmine take a look at my Contest moves," Kenny explained, surprising Ash a little.

The raven-haired trainer looked over at Jasmine curiously. "But Jasmine, you're the Olivine Gym Leader. So how does that work?" he asked, wondering why she'd be helping Kenny with an unfamiliar style of training to her, or so he assumed.

"Your specialty is normal Pokemon battles, and not Contest battles, right?" Brock added, sounding equally curious.

"Right," Jasmine confirmed, smiling as though she expected the question, "but in order to _really_ get stronger, I think it's best to learn from all kinds of experiences. And Contest battles are teaching me a whole lot."

"But what about the gym?" Ash asked, wondering about trainers like him who would be searching for their Olivine Gym Badge.

"One of my colleagues is watching over the gym for me," she explained, "and thanks to him, I'm able to go out, and really sharpen up my skills!"

"That's wonderful, Jasmine!" Brock exclaimed, looking pleased, and seemingly not for the same reasons as before. "You're happy, and proud to be a Gym Leader, while at the same time, you're always looking for new ways to improve your battling skills.

Jasmine chuckled at that, appearing pleased by Brock's words. "Well as far as I'm concerned, that's what a Gym Leader is all about."

With that, Kenny turned to Dawn, a questioning look in his eyes. "Dawn, so what's the plan from here on out?" he asked.

"Right now I'm going to cheer Ash on at the Sinnoh League!" she said proudly, bringing a smile to Ash's face, although Kenny seemed a little surprised.

"And after that?" he asked, Dawn echoing the question, clearly unsure of an answer. "There's still lots of time before the next Grand Festival," Kenny explained, looking a little more excited as he continued to speak. "So are you going to go back to Twinleaf Town for a little while, or are you going to keep travelling on your journey instead?"

The question seemed to make Dawn uneasy, and she looked up, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "I...haven't really thought about it yet."

"In that case-" Kenny wasn't able to finish his thought, as in that moment, some kind of robotic arm, a large metal hand at the end, appeared next to him, immediately taking hold of his Floatzel. He looked up in panic, stunned at what had just happened. "Floatzel!"

Ash narrowed his eyes, looking up as well, knowing right away who it was. And sure enough, the Meowth balloon was up there, Jessie, James and Meowth smirking down from their place in the air. And to make things worse, they were starting their motto again.

"Silly twerps, with heads filled with mush," Jessie began, James quickly following after her.

"Get to the point, we're in a rush!"

"On the wind,"

"Past the stars!"

"You twerps are making me blush!" Meowth shouted.

"Look, that's _my_ Floatzel, Team Rocket!" Kenny called out angrily.

"On whose show?" Jessie asked gleefully.

"Yeah, gotta go!" Meowth added, the trio look ecstatic, as though thinking they were finally going to get away with stealing a Pokemon.

Ash was about to send out Staraptor to give chase, when suddenly a voice broke in, calling out a command quickly and confidently. "Overheat!" the familiar voice shouted, as an ape-like Pokemon leaped out in front of them.

"Ferrr fernape!"

Ash smiled widely, watching as the powerful flames launched out, obliterating Team Rocket's balloon and easily freeing Floatzel from their hold. The water type immediately began descending back down towards them, while Team Rocket was sent flying away. Ash could hear them shouting, "we're blasting off again!" but ignored it, watching as Floatzel landed safely, luckily looking unhurt.

"Man, are you okay Floatzel?" Kenny asked, running up to his Pokemon.

With Floatzel looking okay, Ash turned around, looking for confirmation of who he thought had come to their rescue. "I know that Infernape," he said, quickly spotting the trainer of the powerful fire type Pokemon.

"Right! And I'm sure glad that I made it in time, Ash," the red-headed man said, smiling.

Ash ran ahead to the man, his friends close behind. "Flint! What are you doing here?" he asked, curious as to why the Elite Four member would be here.

"Well, I wanted to see you before you left to continue your journey," Flint answered, his words causing Ash's jaw to drop in surprise. "After all, you're the guy who brought my best buddy Volkner back to his old electrifying self, and that took some doing."

The praise shocked Ash a bit, and he felt a little embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oh man," he said, laughing nervously.

"He wanted to come to," Flint continued, "but he's busy taking on challengers, so he told me to give a big hello to all of you."

Ash was quiet a moment, remembering Volkner and the battle they'd had together. It had really helped to get Infernape become even stronger, and now, going into the Sinnoh League, his fire type was ready to take on any challenge. Even Paul.

"Hello, Flint!" Jasmine's suddenly spoke up, surprising Ash and his friends, not knowing what she would have to say to the man. "My name's Jasmine, and I'm the Olivine Gym Leader," she informed him, Ash hearing him murmur something, apparently interested. "I'd like to challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

"With me?" Flint asked, smiling.

"One doesn't get a chance to have a battle with a member of the Elite Four every day!" Jasmine pointed out. "I'm sure it would help me grow a lot stronger!"

"Of course," Flint then accepted, a fiery look in his eyes, "always happy to accept from a beautiful challenger!"

"Oh thank you!"

Ash was immediately filled with excitement, realizing he was going to get to watch an awesome battle. He looked at Pikachu, smiling widely. "A Gym Leader battling one of the Elite Four! Awesome!"

"Pika pika!"

A few minutes later, their group, now a rather large one, had gathered in a small clearing surrounded by a few trees in a nearby park. Jasmine and Flint stood across from one another, Flint's Infernape in front of him, while Brock was standing between them as referee. Ash, Dawn and Kenny stood at the sidelines, all eager to watch the match.

"I'm going to go with Infernape," Flint told Jasmine, stating the obvious. It was his best Pokemon, and Ash knew it would be the toughest for Jasmine to beat, but he was pretty sure she wanted to face Flint's best anyways, so she was probably happy.

"Okay, here's mine!" the Olivine Gym Leader responded, throwing out her pokeball and calling out her Steelix, the large Iron Snake Pokemon glaring ahead challengingly as it emerged.

Dawn looked interested at the sight of the unfamiliar Pokemon to her, and quickly pulled out her PokeDex. "Lemme see..." she muttered, scanning Jasmine's Steelix.

"Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokemon," the PokeDex started, "and the evolved form of Onix. Steelix's body is much harder than any metal as it is tempered underground under high pressure and heat."

Ash smiled, seeing the interest in Dawn's eyes. He remembered how impressed he'd been when he'd first seen a Steelix as well, and also the tough battle this one in particular had given him. "Yeah, Steelix's Iron Tail is really tough," he said, Pikachu voicing his agreement, obviously remembering the battle as well.

Dawn smiled, appearing interested in the story, and Ash told himself he needed to remember to tell her at some point. Sometimes he wasn't so good at talking about all of his old adventures, always being focused on the next one. Dawn then looked thoughtfully at the two Pokemon on the field. "But a steel type like Steelix is at a disadvantage against a fire type like Infernape."

"Yeah, but at the same time, Steelix is Jasmine's strongest partner," Ash pointed out, never being one to think too much into type advantages. "I wonder what her strategy to overcome that will be." As he noticed Flint and Jasmine appearing ready to begin their battle, Ash suddenly realized this was a perfect learning opportunity for his own Infernape. "Oh yeah, I should let _my_ Infernape watch this!"

"That's a great idea!" Dawn agreed, smiling excitedly as Ash called out his fire type. Ash thought he caught Kenny looking over, but ignored it, assuming the boy probably was just curious to see his Infernape.

"I want you to watch how Flint's Infernape handles a battle, okay?" Ash informed his powerful fighter, holding up his fists like this was its own kind of challenge.

"Infernape!" Infernape agreed quickly, turning to look at the opposing Pokemon on the field.

Ash then looked up, noticing Kenny staring once more, before Dawn turned around in surprise. "Huh? Something wrong?" she asked her fellow Coordinator.

"It's nothing," he quickly said, before cupping his hands to his mouth and shouting, "Jasmine, good luck!"

Ash noticed Dawn looking fairly confused, but at that moment, Brock's suddenly shouted out, getting their attention quickly. "Battle begin!"

"Why don't you go first?" Flint offered, smiling confidently.

"Steelix, Iron Tail let's go!" Jasmine shouted immediately, happy enough to take the first move.

The Iron Snake Pokemon acted quickly, its tail glowing a bright white as it moved forward, spinning around in preparation to strike. "Dodge it, quick!" Flint shouted, his Infernape suddenly leaping up as the Iron Tail struck the ground where he'd been standing.

"Excellent!" Jasmine said, looking pleased. "Infernape's been well trained." She then held up a fist, before pointing ahead, narrowing her eyes as she called her next order. "All right, Steelix, use Iron Tail and aim well!"

Once again, the steel type moved forward as quickly as it could, roaring loudly and spinning around with its glowing white tail. Flint seemed to know it was coming, though, acting fast as he called out his order for Infernape. "Deflect it!" The fire and fighting type jumped up, crossing its arms in front of its face as the Iron Tail struck, the impact appearing to lessen, but still sending the Flame Pokemon sliding back along the ground. Ash could see that the attack had barely done any damage at all, though, and already, Jasmine's style was becoming apparent.

She seemed to want to keep up the offensive, though, quickly calling her next attack. "Use Sandstorm!" Steelix immediately started spinning around at the order, sand and dust shooting up around it, propelled outwards, heading straight for Infernape.

"Repel that!" Flint ordered, narrowing his eyes. Ash could see that this battle was nearing its end already. Flint seemed to know what to do. Infernape once again crossed its arms in front of its face, shouting out as it spread them wide, the whipped up sand flung away as he did so.

Ash couldn't help but be surprised by that. "It wiped out the Sandstorm!"

"It looks like none of Jasmine's attacks seem to be working," Dawn noted, sounding just as shocked.

"Yeah, of course that's Flint's battling style," Ash pointed out, glad to see that Dawn appeared to be picking up on what he'd seen.

"So at first, Flint just holds back and watches to see how his opponent's going to attack!" Dawn said, Ash smiling upon hearing her analysis. Apparently she'd learned quite a bit on their journey, although he noticed Kenny looking displeased about something.

"Crunch, let's go!" Jasmine suddenly shouted bringing his attention back to the battle. He had a feeling that this is where it would end.

"Use Flare Blitz!" Flint ordered, his call clear and confident.

Ash's heart was racing as he watched the two Pokemon charge towards each other. Infernape was enveloped by flames, while Steelix had its jaws opened wide, ready to deliver its Crunch attack. When they met midair, though, it was the Flare Blitz attack that prevailed, smashing hard into Steelix and sending it flying backwards, crashing hard into the ground in front of Jasmine as she called out to her Pokemon in concern.

"See that, Infernape?" Ash asked, looking to his Pokemon happily, noticing the awe in his eyes.

"Infernape!"

They then looked towards Brock as he held his arm up towards Flint. "Steelix is unable to battle! Infernape is the winner, and the victory goes to Flint!"

"Wow, they won it in one move!" Dawn called out, sounding impressed.

"Proves how amazing Flint really is!" Ash added, pumping his fist, Infernape voicing his agreement next to him.

They watched a moment as Jasmine and Flint called back their Pokemon, Flint standing up straight and looking across at his opponent. "I'm sorry, Jasmine," he said, "but letting my opponents have an easy go of it just isn't my style, you know?"

"I learned a lot more because of that," Jasmine answered, bowing respectfully. "Thank you very much, Flint!"

With that, Ash couldn't control himself any longer, quickly rushing forward to talk to Flint, leaving Dawn and Kenny behind. As he reached Flint, though, he looked back, noticing the two Coordinators talking, surprised to see Kenny glaring in his direction for a moment, before saying something to Dawn. The bluenette seemed a little uneasy, also looking in Ash's direction. He decided it wasn't too much to worry about for the moment, though, turning back to Flint, congratulating him on the battle as their group set off back towards the terminal.

When they had all made their way back to the terminal, the sun was beginning to set, and their group gathered at the end of one of the docks to watch. It was quite peaceful, but the sight of the setting sun made Ash more excited for what was to come. The next day was even closer, which meant that soon, he'd be off to Lily of the Valley Island with Dawn and Brock to compete in the Sinnoh League.

They were quiet for a few minutes as the orange glow of the sunset bathed the water out in front of them, before Jasmine finally broke the silence, turning to Flint. "So tell me Flint," she said, looking like this question had been on her mind since the battle, "is the strategy of letting your opponents attack first like that, your battling style?"

"Right," Flint answered, smiling at the opportunity to explain it. "See, for me, defence is the best way to train. Winning a battle without getting attacked, doesn't teach you anything." Ash listened closely, realizing there was a lot more to Flint's style than he'd originally thought. "First, I let my opponent attack, and then I defend against it, which helps me to really sharpen up my skills."

"I see," Jasmine whispered, sounding fascinated.

"But, if my opponent's a whole lot stronger than me, than I can't really pull that off, of course," Flint added, his words seeming to hint at something.

"Like Cynthia, the Champion of the Elite Four?" Jasmine asked, eyes shining, apparently an admirer of Sinnoh's Champion.

"Yeah," Flint said, eyes shifting towards Ash, who knew right away what he was getting at.

"Wow, Flint, are you planning on challenging Cynthia?"

"I am," the man nodded, hands on his hips, "but not until I've trained as hard as I possibly can, and feel completely prepared."

Ash could barely contain his excitement upon hearing that, holding up his fists and shutting his eyes tight as he imagined it. "Awesome! Man, would I love to see that battle!"

"Ash!"

"Huh?" Ash looked up at that, surprised to see Kenny staring at him, eyes narrowed challengingly.

"I challenge you to a battle!" the Coordinator declared confidently, pointing to himself to make the point clearer. Perhaps Ash wasn't the only on fired up at the thought of a Flint and Cynthia battle, although for some reason, Dawn was looking uneasy. However, Ash could never pass up the opportunity to battle.

"Sure!" he said, smiling, remembering his interrupted battle with Kenny long ago. "I guess it's time to pick up where we left off, right?" Before Kenny could answer, though, Ash's stomach rumbled loudly, and in that moment, he knew he couldn't battle, as much as he wanted to. "But let's pick it up tomorrow. I'm hungry," he admitted, laughing out in embarrassment.

Kenny didn't actually seem to pleased by that, but Brock spoke up before he could. "Hey, let's go back to the Pokemon Centre. Jasmine, care to join us?"

"Thanks, as long as it won't be any trouble for you all," she agreed happily.

They set off for the Pokemon Centre after that, reaching their destination by the time the sun was fully down. Ash immediately led their group in getting some food. When he was done, finishing up faster than anyone, he could barely move for a couple minutes, only getting up once Jasmine and Flint were also finished, the three of them heading back to the lobby together.

As they opened the doors, Ash sighing in contentment, happily stating how full he was, a couple of kids looked up, immediately noticing Flint. "Wow, look it's Flint!" one of them shouted, another turning around excitedly. A group of three immediately started running towards them, pushing Ash out of the way and asking Flint for autographs and pictures, which he accepted, only asking that they take turns.

Ash smiled, watching as they pulled out pictures and books for Flint to sign, his attention only drifting when he noticed Dawn emerge next to Jasmine. Again, she was looking quite distracted, and Ash couldn't understand why. He wondered if she was thinking about her loss at the Grand Festival, and what might've happened had she won. It made him feel a little bad about how much he'd been focusing on the Sinnoh League. He was happy to see Jasmine talking to her, though, noticing that the two seemed to becoming friends quite quickly.

It made him a little more comfortable in turning his attention back to Flint as the kids finished up with their pictures and autographs. He'd been thinking a lot about something he wanted to ask the man, and decided now was a good opportunity. "Hey Flint, please tell me what it was like when you won the Sinnoh League. I can't tell you how much it would mean to me."

"No problem," he said, leading Ash over to some chairs near the front of the lobby. When they sat down, Flint immediately looked up, as though envisioning the battle before him. "It all happened back when I was around the same age you are right now. Rumour had it, my finals opponent was a really strong trainer." He described some of the battle, Ash seeing it in his mind as Flint and his Monferno battled hard against the other trainer and his Snorlax. "My attacks weren't landing at all," Flint continued, smiling as he remembered, "while my opponent's attacks were fierce."

Ash waited a moment, staring back as Flint looked up thoughtfully, before finally asking the question on his mind. "Okay Flint, so, how did you win?"

Flint laughed at that, smirking and giving him a thumbs up. "You don't know? _Because_ , I'm a genius!"

"Hey, what kind of weird answer is that, anyway!" Ash muttered, not exactly impressed, Pikachu muttering in agreement.

Flint just chuckled a moment, before looking up in thought once more. "It had nothing to do with theory or strategy," he finally explained, his words surprising Ash. "Look Ash, as you get ready for the Sinnoh League, I've got one piece of advice for you. However strong your opponent may be, big deal! Only a person who truly believes they can win, can win!"

"So I have to believe I can win..." Ash said quietly, unsure whether or not to be happy about that advice at the moment.

"Remember _that_ ," Flint assured him, his voice serious as he smiled confidently.

Ash couldn't help but smile back, knowing that Flint wouldn't tell him this if he didn't truly mean it. Even if he'd hoped for some kind of strategy he could learn, maybe it _was_ the best advice. _Believe I can win._ "Right!" he said, pumping his fist.

After his talk with Flint, Ash was too fired up to relax for the night, so he quickly headed outside to the Pokemon Centre's battlefield to do some late night training. If he could work on making his battlestyle a little more like Flint's and then take in his advice, Ash was sure he could win the Sinnoh League. There would be no way to stop him!

When he stepped outside, he was surprised to see Kenny and his Empoleon out there as well. They seemed to be hard at work, Kenny calling out for a Hydro Cannon, which Empoleon swiftly fired out at a nearby tree, the attack shaking it violently. Seeing that got Ash fired up even more, and he quickly called out his Infernape, hoping that the two of them could work on Flint's battle style together, after watching him in action earlier on.

"Infernape!" Infernape cried out once emerging from his pokeball, the fire type looking excited to get some training in.

"All right, Infernape, let's try out some of the things we saw today. Pikachu, use Iron Tail, and Infernape, you dodge it and then use Mach Punch!" Both of his Pokemon nodded, leaping out in front of Ash, before Pikachu got things started by charging forward with his Iron Tail.

"Chuuu pika!" he cried out, swinging his attack towards Infernape, the Flame Pokemon waiting, before jumping out of the way just in time, just like Flint's Infernape. Then, the fire and fighting type pulled his fist back and rushed forward, ready to strike Pikachu.

"Deflect it with another Iron Tail!" Ash ordered, trying to get both his Pokemon to use the this style.

"Pika!"

Unfortunately, it was a little too late, Pikachu's Iron Tail making him a little more vulnerable as he attacked midair, Infernape's powerful Mach Punch then sending him flying across the field, spinning in a ball. Ash's eyes widened, watching as Pikachu sailed towards Kenny and Empoleon, the Coordinator looking irritated by the distraction

"Empoleon, counter it!" Kenny yelled, pointing at the incoming Pikachu.

"Poleon!" Empoleon shouted out, jumping forward and swinging outwards with a flipper, sending Pikachu backwards and causing him to crash hard into the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out in concern, while Infernape screeched angrily and rushed forward, coming face to face with Empoleon, giving him a challenging look. "Whoa, hold on Infernape! That was my fault!"

"Fernape..." Infernape growled, stepping back at Ash's orders, still glaring at Empoleon.

"Empoleon..." the Emperor Pokemon growled back, looking just as ready to battle.

"You want to battle Infernape, don't you, Empoleon?" Kenny asked, his Empoleon voicing its agreement, while Infernape growled again challengingly.

"Sounds like you want to have a battle with Empoleon as well," Ash noted, Infernape turning and nodding to him.

"Ash, if you don't mind, let's make our battle Empoleon versus Infernape!" Kenny declared, glaring once again in challenge.

"Sure, that sounds great!" Ash said, smiling as the two Pokemon glared at one another, knowing they'd get their chance to fight soon enough.

And as Ash turned around, deciding that they should train elsewhere, he caught sight of Dawn watching through the window. She looked a little mad for some reason, looking between both Kenny and Ash, before turning around quickly. As she walked away, Ash turned his head, noticing Kenny staring back towards Dawn, fists clenched. The raven-haired trainer had no idea what was going on, but he suddenly felt like this wasn't a normal battle.

He would find out soon enough, though, the night passing fairly quickly. Before he knew it, he'd finished training, had a good sleep at the Pokemon Centre and he was already back at that battlefield, facing off against Kenny, while Brock stood between them as referee, and Dawn sat on a bench at the sidelines, watching with anxious eyes. Ash was a little worried about how she was acting, but in that moment, he needed to think about his battle with Kenny, and he looked across at the boy, each of them clearly ready to start.

"This will be a one on one Pokemon battle!" Brock declared, each trainer tensing up as he spoke.

"Kay, here goes!" Kenny shouted throwing out his pokeball, his Empoleon shouting out confidently as it emerged.

"Infernape, I choose you!" Ash then yelled, throwing out his pokeball full force, his fire and fighting type emerging with a loud battle cry.

"Empoleon and Infernape," Ash heard Dawn saying. "I guess Kenny has the advantage."

 _We'll see..._ Ash thought, suddenly feeling even more desire to win this battle. "Infernape, make sure to stay focused," Ash told his fire type, Infernape nodding at his words. "Kay Kenny, you go first."

"You got it, Ash," Kenny shouted, as Brock called for the battle to begin. "Empoleon, Hydro Cannon!" Ash smiled, ready to put Flint's battle style to the test, immediately calling for Infernape to dodge. Kenny was motivated, though, instantly calling his next attack as Infernape jumped up, the powerful jet of water crashing to the ground underneath him. "Use Drill Peck!"

It was risky, but Ash and Infernape had worked on it the previous night, knowing they could execute Flint's style. At least in a small battle like this. "Intercept!"

"Fernape!" As Empoleon charged forward, spinning as its beak extended out in front of it, Infernape moved to engage, throwing his arms up to block. They met in the middle of the field, Empoleon hitting Infernape with everything it had, while the Flame Pokemon did his best to hold his ground.

"Wow," Ash heard Dawn saying, trying to keep his focus on the match, but happy to hear her sounding a little excited, "Ash is using Flint's battle style!"

"And that's because battling is the highest form of training there is," Ash said aloud, smiling ahead as Infernape and Empoleon leaped away from one another. "I want Infernape's defence to look sharp."

Kenny didn't seem to impressed, narrowing his eyes as he looked over to Dawn, who Ash noticed looking a little uneasy once more. "Wonder if this will work out like you planned!" he called out, ready to make his next order, Dawn glancing over at Ash with a confused look at his words. "Use Hydro Cannon!"

Ash quickly focused back on the match, ready to take over. "Quick! Intercept it with Flamethrower!" he yelled, pointing ahead as Infernape quickly took a deep breath, before unleashing the jet of flames in the direction of the incoming water attack. The attacks met in the centre of the battlefield, straining against each other for a moment, before both died down, steam rising up where they had met.

"Metal Claw!" Kenny ordered quickly, clearly hoping to keep Ash on the defensive.

"I thought so! Now dodge it and use Mach Punch!" Ash ordered, sensing the tide of the battle was about to shift.

"Poleon!"

"Infernape!"

Empoleon charged forward, desperation in its eyes as it held its glowing, white flipper back, ready to strike. Infernape was too quick, though, his fist held back as he charged forward as well, ducking easily past Empoleon's swipe and then slamming the Mach Punch hard into the Emperor Pokemon's chest. The water and steel type went flying back, hitting the ground hard in front of a shocked Kenny.

"Get up and use Metal Claw again!" Kenny ordered, looking desperate to keep his constant attacks going. Ash knew he had him where he wanted, though. He'd executed Flint's style perfectly, and as the Elite Four trainer had told him to do, he'd believed he would win.

"Use Dig, and then hit it with another Mach Punch!"

"Infernape!" The fire and fighting type seemed to sense his victory as much as Ash did, quickly burrowing underground as Empoleon got up and charged forward once again, completely missing with another swipe of Metal Claw. Then, a moment later, Infernape shot out of the ground behind it, smashing his fist hard into the Emperor Pokemon once again, sending it face first into the ground.

"Finish this with Flamethrower!" Ash yelled, punching the air in triumph.

"IiinFERNAPE!" The Flame Pokemon's chest puffed out as he inhaled deeply, before unleashing a massive Flamethrower that struck Empoleon full force, Kenny's water type crying out in pain from the attack, before slumping over as it ended.

"Empoleon is unable to battle!" Brock yelled, raising an arm in Ash's direction. "The winner is Infernape, and the victory goes to Ash!"

"All right!" Ash yelled, pumping his fist as he ran forward towards Infernape, the fire type turning around, smiling proudly. "Great job, Infernape! I knew you could do it!"

"Fernape," Infernape nodded, the two of them glancing over towards Kenny as he comforted his Empoleon, before calling it back to its pokeball.

"That was great. And great training for _you_ ," Brock said, coming up behind Ash, who noticed Kenny heading over to Dawn, the Coordinator looking even more disturbed and conflicted. Ash wanted to know what was on her mind, but turned back to Brock, his friend smiling back, looking impressed. "With all that you've experienced, it's good to work on some new strategies to keep your own style fresh. Keep working like that, and you'll be really tough to beat at the Sinnoh League."

"You think so?" Ash asked, exchanging a proud look with Infernape.

"Of course," Brock said confidently. "And Dawn and me will be cheering you on the whole way. Isn't that ri- what's going on?"

Ash turned around as he noticed Brock looking curiously over at Kenny and Dawn. Kenny's eyes were almost pleading, while Dawn was shaking her head. "Come on, Dawn, we're both Coordinators! Why not travel together?"

"I already told you, Kenny," Dawn said quickly, eyes drifting over to Ash, looking embarrassed that he was seeing this. "I want to cheer Ash on at the Sinnoh League. After that, I haven't decided yet."

"So you want to keep going with him?" Kenny asked bitterly, turning around and narrowing his eyes as he noticed Ash and Brock watching. "I guess you did win, Ash. You won, so you get her."

"Yeah...wait what do you-" Ash started to say, before Dawn suddenly broke in.

"What do you mean?" she asked, surprising Ash as she glared at him. "You _knew_?" She looked furious, but also somewhat hurt. "I'm not some _prize_ like your gym badges, Ash."

"Hold on, I never-"

"I thought we were friends, who supported each other in everything we did. Or am I just your cheerleader?" There were tears in her eyes now, and she turned her glare back on Kenny. "And _you._ You think that you can just drag me away from my friends because of some battle? I've been with Ash and Brock for months. It's not that easy. I can't just...go."

"I didn't mean it like that," Kenny muttered, almost looking apologetic as he turned his gaze back to Ash. "I didn't know they meant that much to you. I mean...I did...but…"

"Dawn, I think there's been a misunderstanding here," Brock spoke up, taking a step forward as the bluenette turned towards him, eyes flashing angrily again.

"I understand fine," she seemed to whisper. "Two of my best friend, or so I thought, decided I was just a prize. Like their little battle was for a badge or a ribbon."

Ash was fully lost now, looking over to Kenny, hopeful for an answer, but only seeing defeat on the boy's face. When he looked back at Dawn, hoping to clear this up, he saw her turning around quickly, fists clenched as he started walking back to the doors of the Pokemon Centre. "Dawn!" he called out, not exactly surprised as she ignored him, although still confused about this whole situation. He watched as she and Piplup disappeared through the door, and then turned to Brock, hoping he of all people could figure this out.

However, it was Kenny who spoke up. "I'm sorry, Ash, that was all my fault. I...I was just...seeing you two yesterday. I was jealous."

This only made Ash more confused, and he once again looked at Brock, noticing his old friend nodding sagely, as if he _did_ know what was going. "Figures…" he was whispering to himself. "I go after them for years with no luck, and he doesn't need to do anything. Lucky guy."

"Brock…" Ash said, feeling completely lost at the moment.

"Huh...oh, sorry," Brock said, shaking his head and chuckling a little. "Ash, I think you should go and talk to her. It'll clear this up."

"Maybe it should be me," Kenny suggested, looking a little frustrated once more as he looked at Ash.

Brock shook his head, though, gesturing for Ash to go. "I think you and I should have a chat, Kenny. Ash...you should go. The ferry will be going soon."

Ash nodded at that, spotting the clock through the window of the Pokemon Centre. He quickly called back Infernape, and then ran towards the doors, telling Pikachu to stay behind, feeling like this just needed to be him. As he headed through the doors, he took one quick glance back, seeing Kenny and Brock sitting down at a bench, Brock calling out his Sudowoodo to train with Pikachu. Ash was still confused, but he hoped his old friend could help with whatever was bothering Kenny. Now, it was up to _him_ to help Dawn.

As he ran through the Pokemon Centre, heading towards the room Dawn had shared with Jasmine the night before, he passed by the Olivine Gym Leader, as well as Flint. Both seemed surprised by his running, but all he did was quickly say he'd see them later, before darting around a corner and heading down a hall. When he reached the room, he wasn't too sure what to do, so he just knocked, even though the reply probably should've been expected in hindsight.

"Go away," came Dawn's angry voice, accompanied by what sounded like a sniffle. _Is she sick?_ Ash wondered.

"It's me," he said after knocking once more without an answer.

"I said to go away."

"The ferry is going to leave soon," Ash said, wondering if that might get her attention, although it turned out to be a bad move.

"That's all you care about of course."

"Why would you think that?" Ash asked, surprised to hear that accusation. Obviously he cared about the league, but right now he wanted to figure out what was wrong with Dawn.

"You just want your cheerleader," Dawn muttered, another sniffle being heard from the room, along with a concerned squeak from Piplup.

"Well...I guess so," Ash admitted, not wanting to lie, knowing that he _did_ want Dawn's support. "But...if you don't want to go, I guess…"

"What do you mean?" she suddenly asked, a shuffling sound coming from the room. Ash was almost sure he heard footsteps coming towards the door.

Ash took a deep breath, trying his best to find the right words, despite still being quite confused by this whole situation. "I just want you to be happy. You said to Kenny that you wanted to cheer me on for the Sinnoh League, so...I just thought that...you know…"

There was silence from the other end of the door for a moment, and then Ash heard a deep breath, sounding very close, as though it was just on the other side. "Why did you think you needed to battle Kenny then?"

"Huh?" Ash had no idea what that had to do with it, but when he heard a frustrated sigh, he quickly answered. "I don't know, Dawn. He challenged me, and I accepted. You know that's what I do."

"Don't lie," Dawn whispered, although she sounded a little unsure. "I saw you guys talking last night."

"When we were training? Infernape and Pikachu just had a mishap. Had a bit of a run-in with Empoleon. That was it," Ash said honestly, again curious as to what that had to do with all of this.

"Did Kenny tell you _anything_?" Dawn finally asked, very quiet now.

"He just said he was sorry for some reason, and that he was jealous or something," Ash said, remembering the boy's words. "I don't really know what he was talking about though."

Ash was sure he heard a small laugh from the other side of the door, and then a moment later, it opened, Dawn appearing in front of him, gesturing for an awkward looking Piplup to head back outside, an opportunity he gratefully accepted. She gave Ash a suspicious look, as though waiting for him to say something, before she asked one more question. "Why did you cheer for me at the Grand Festival?"

Ash shrugged, thinking the answer was obvious. "Same reason I cheered for you with all your other contests. I wanted to support you with anything you did."

"Anything?" she asked, mouth opening in surprise. It looked as though she was realizing something as she then looked away, rubbing the back of her neck, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

"Yeah…" Ash finally said, stepping forward.

"I think I made a mistake," Dawn said after a moment, looking up at Ash, biting her lip. "I thought you…I thought the battle...I mean Kenny had said…"

"It was just a battle," Ash said simply, shrugging once more like he thought it was obvious.

Dawn finally let out a laugh at that, eyes shining as she looked back at Ash, who chuckled nervously, not fully sure what was so funny, but happy to see Dawn cheering up. "Yeah," she said once she'd stopped. "Yeah...just a battle."

"So...are we okay then?" Ash asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

Dawn nodded, appearing apologetic. She then took a step forward, raising her arms up a bit as though she was about to...hug him? However, she quickly stopped, stepping back before raising her arm up high above her head. "No need to worry," she said, as they joined their hands together in a high five.

With that, the two friends, _best friends_ , turned around, heading back out to the battlefield to meet back up with their other friends. As soon as they stepped outside, though, Ash realized that Kenny was no longer there, with Brock now talking with Flint and Jasmine. Dawn apparently noticed as well, both of them quickly calling out to Brock, who approached as soon as he saw them.

"Everything cleared up?" he asked hopefully, Ash nodding, while Dawn looked around for any sign of Kenny.

"Where's Kenny?" she finally asked.

"He left," Brock said, pulling out a small piece of paper from his pocket. "He wanted you to have this, though," he added, handing what appeared to he a note to Dawn.

Ash watched her read it, feeling a bit nervous about what her reaction might be, but relaxing once he noticed the smile on her face, which only brightened as she looked up at Ash. She then turned her eyes back to the note, reading it over once more. Ash caught her mouthing some of the words, and thought he saw her mouthing the words _make you happy._

"He said it was an apology," Brock said after Dawn put the note away. "All good?"

"Yeah," Dawn whispered, looking at Ash once more. "And he said to wish you luck in the Sinnoh League, Ash, and that I should cheer you on extra hard!"

"Awesome!" Ash smiled, looking up as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. "Well, if Dawn's cheering extra hard, we'll battle extra hard, right buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu answered, pumping his little fist.

"I'll be there too," Brock assured him. "All the way."

"And you'll beat Nando, Conway, Barry and Paul," Dawn added, holding up a fist. "And then you'll win the whole Sinnoh League."

Ash couldn't have felt happier or more confident in that moment. If Flint could read his thoughts right now, the Elite Four member would know that Ash was not only believing he could win, but _knowing it_ in his heart.

With his Pokemon, like Pikachu and Infernape, he could go head to head with any trainer.

With Brock's support, he had the wisdom of an old friend to rely on.

And with Dawn there, he could just about do anything.

 **Author's Note:**

Gotta admit, I enjoyed it, just like the pearlshipping oneshot I did almost a year ago. I _was_ a pearlshipper once...probably still have a little of it in me. Might even add on to this story at some point, maybe with the same plotline, but from Dawn's perspective, and then...who knows. For now, just a oneshot, though.

As for the story itself, it was requested that with it being a pearlshipping story, this...I suppose it would be an "injustice" to pearlshipping, be redone, with Kenny taking the 'L'. I wanted to be careful not to bash him, though, and keep things in character. Probably the trickiest part was Dawn getting upset, but I'd think she'd hate the idea of being considered a prize to be won, and thinking Ash would take part...well, there's a "need to worry" there. Subtle romance in this case, but hopefully it worked well.

Hope you enjoyed, Jagulov.


End file.
